Widespread intellectual and moral docility may be convenient for leaders in the short term, but it is suicidal for nations in the long term. One of the criteria for national leadership should therefore be a talent for understanding, encouraging, and making constructive use of vigorous criticism.

— Carl Sagan Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millenium (1997)

More quotes by Carl Sagan

Cosmos (1980)

Cosmos (1980)

Cosmos (1980)

Contact (1985)

The Demon-Haunted World : Science as a Candle in the Dark (1995)

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Carl Sagan (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.